Record Review - Whirlwind D - Beats, Bits And Bobs EP

Hip-Hop's 'Mr Nice' returns in familiar fashion with another release from the UK's B-Line Recordings. His brand new wax is an EP, Beats, Bits And Bobs and is a refreshingly diverse bunch of tracks.

Beginning with side A's lead track, LABELS, this has the customary hallmarks of previous releases (as with many recent rap tunes by our generation - 'reminisce-rap', anyone?) with boom-bap production and tales of yesteryear rhymes on the top.
Djar One provides the sweet beat for this with its really tight flow and light guitar lick. Specifik is on turntable duties.

REAP THE WHIRLWIND has a Raising Hell feel to it with it's sparse Billy Squier beat and rock guitar chugging powerfully over the proceedings. This track is produced by Phil Wilks who worked with D previously on his Other Side (2016) album supplying not just the beat but guitar, too.
DJ Tones is on hand with some deft scratch patterns.

The RUN FAST remix is quite disappointing and it's sparseness sounds rather weak compared to the original version from 2014 12". Mr Fantastic's previous production matched the frenetic pace of the piece while Miracle's interpretation is more abstract and never quite captures the immediacy needed.

A complete change of pace as RADIOACTIVE BASS rounds off the EP.
This is a journey back into the days of electro funk which keeps all modern production hallmarks as sparse as you like and thus sounds more authentic of the period it is trying to capture. Simply a drum machine, a synth and a vocoder.
This has great potential for a wicked remix as there are some nice elements that could be fleshed out even more.
Mr Wilks is on the boards again here and this cut demonstrates how deftly he flits through a variety of styles whilst coolly wearing his producer hat.

This is a great value for money purchase as it also includes instrumentals and acapella mixes on the flip-side - always a positive deciding factor for a thriftmaster such as I. In fact why would you not include instrumentals on a large 12" slab of wax? I remember there was a fad for chucking on (terrible) remixes in place of them back in the early 1990s on the UK releases. Luckily B-Line are sticklers for this tried and tested format and provide the full-fat treatment.

Once again John Dyer adds the finishing touches to the whole package with a dope cartoon-style illustration on this full-colour 12" sleeve which would look great in a record frame on the wall (buy two, folks!)

This collection ultimately displays what diverse musical influences Whirlwind D has in his record bag and proves he is nowhere near stopping anytime soon.

Tracklisting:
A1     Labels
A2     Reap The Whirlwind
A3     Run Fast (Remix)
A4     Radioactive Bass
B1     Labels (Instrumental Edit)
B2     Reap The Whirlwind (Instrumental Edit)
B3     Run Fast Remix (Instrumental Edit)
B4     Labels (Acapella)
B5     Reap The Whirlwind (Acapella)

Support your local record shop and buy Beats, Bits And Bobs in person. Failing that, you can purchase online from https://blinerecordings.bigcartel.com/product/whirlwind-d-beats-bits-and-bobs